1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrochemical technique, and more particularly, to a catalyst layer material, a method for fabricating the same, and a fuel cell.
2. Description of Related Art
Exploitation and application of energy sources are always indispensable in our daily lives. The conventional techniques for exploiting and applying energy sources, however, lead to increasing environmental destruction. Fuel cell-based power generation characterized by high efficiency, low noise and non-pollution complies with the trend and therefore is very promising in the energy industry.
In brief, the fuel cell is substantially a power generator that converts chemical energy into electric energy by utilizing a reverse reaction of water electrolysis. The fuel cell can be categorized into many different types, wherein a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) are two commonly-used fuel cells. The fuel cell stack module mainly includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The MEA is composed of a proton exchange membrane, an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, an anode gas diffusion layer (GDL), and a cathode GDL. The anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer are individually disposed at respective sides of the proton exchange membrane, and the anode GDL and the cathode GDL are respectively disposed at relative outsides of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer.
In the fuel cell, importance of a catalyst support in the anode catalyst layer or the cathode catalyst layer is often neglected. Generally speaking, carbon materials in various forms are commonly utilized as the catalyst (catalytic agent) support in the current techniques. In the actual application of the conventional fuel cell, the carbonaceous catalyst-support is, nevertheless, prone to corrosion in particular under repeated start-stop cycles or high-potential conditions, which may dramatically impact on performance and stability of the fuel cell.